Sections

International Travel

Big adventures in Sri Lanka

The rock fortress of Sigiriya is one of Sri Lanka's USESCO World Heritage Sites. Photo: Photo SLTPB

Lucas Aykroyd

Published: March 9, 2019 - 11:36 AM

Even if you grew up reading Babar the Elephant and watching Disney’s Fantasia, nothing can truly prepare you for the surreal spectacle of more than 150 elephants feeding in Kaudulla National Park in Sri Lanka.

It’s just one of many transcendent experiences that await visitors to Sri Lanka between July and November.

In 2018, the compact, tropical South Asian island, formerly known as Ceylon, marked its 70th anniversary of independence. For 2019, Sri Lanka is Lonely Planet’s top recommended destination. And interestingly, one of Canada’s top authors, Michael Ondaatje (The English Patient), was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s biggest city. The history books, though, haven’t always been kind to this country.

Sri Lanka is known as the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean” for its abundant natural beauty. Yet its political struggles continued after centuries of colonial domination by the Portuguese (1505-1658), Dutch (1640-1796), and British (1815-1948). The diverse nation of 21 million, which lies just south of India, endured a fierce civil war between 1983 and 2009.

Today, despite recent political jousting, there is peace between the Sinhalese-speaking Buddhist majority (75 percent of the population) and the predominantly Hindu Tamils (15 percent).

There’s freedom to enjoy shop (130 Sri Lankan rupees to the Canadian dollar), to feast on spicy local dishes ranging from dhal curry to chicken kottu roti, and to frolic on palm-fringed beaches, which encompass more than 1,300 km of coastline.

Wildlife sightings abound while exploring Sigiriya, one of Sri Lanka’s eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Less than an hour’s drive from Kaudulla National Park, the stark, 660-foot-high rock fortress looms above Asia’s first water gardens, ingeniously designed to conserve and distribute rainwater in brick-walled ponds. While you’ll no longer spot crocodiles in the protective moats, monkeys, including gray langurs and toque macaques, romp freely. So pack up your bananas and hold on to your cameras.

Huge Stone Lion paws dwarf visitors to Sigiriya.

Sigiriya means “Lion Rock.” Although admiring its well-preserved frescoes of topless nymphs in elaborate headdresses is a highlight of the 1,200-step climb to the summit, the most dramatic legacy of King Kashyapa I (473-494 AD), who constructed the fortress, is a gigantic pair of stone lion paws. It’s all that remains of the original, cliff-sized lion carving.

At the top, a warm feeling of accomplishment reigns as you stroll through the palace ruins and survey the jungle panorama below, including the terrace gardens and boulder gardens. If pop culture intrigues you more than ancient lore, you may be tickled to learn that Duran Duran partially filmed the 1982 MTV video for “Save A Prayer” up here. Yes, you’re walking in the sacred footsteps of Simon Le Bon.

After conquering Sigiriya, stop for refreshment at one of the numerous local roadside fruit stands. Munch on plantains – Sri Lanka boasts close to 30 kinds of bananas – and drink coconut water out of a coconut in the shade of a towering mango tree.

The Blue Field Tea factory was founded in 1921. Lucas Aykroyd

Sri Lanka’s signature thirst-quenching option, however, is tea. Despite being only slightly bigger than the U.S. state of West Virginia, Sri Lanka is the world’s fourth-largest tea producer after China, India, and Kenya. For a taste of this tradition, head to the 1921-founded Blue Field Tea Factory in the hilly Nuwara Eliya district. At 6,250 feet above sea level, the district is famous for its cool, wet climate, with abundant eucalyptus and cypress trees.

Female Tamil tea pickers are the backbone of the industry. Some 150 pickers harvest at least 20 kg of tea leaves each daily at Blue Field’s 200-acre estate. On a guided tour of the richly scented factory, discover how tea is weighed, dried, rolled, and prepared for consumption. Blue Field’s stated mission is to “convey the pride of Ceylon tea to the Universe,” and that comes through when you sample a steaming cup of Orange Pekoe.

The British launched the tea industry in Sri Lanka in the 1860’s after importing plants from India. You can experience the British Empire’s bygone glories in the 28,000-strong city of Nuwara Eliya.

A tea picker at work in the Newara Eliya district.

The luxurious, Tudor-style Grand Hotel epitomizes that vibe. Out front, topiary gardens feature hedges in the shape of rabbits and dinosaurs around a fountain. A black Yamaha grand piano plays Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata in the chandelier-adorned lounge. The Barnes Hall dinner menu includes cream of carrot and ginger soup and masala grilled fish. Don’t miss the dessert buffet, which offers visual highlights like a large, cartoonish elephant warrior made of marzipan. There are seven other eateries and bars on site.

The Grand Hotel in Nuwara in Eliya offers a British themed ambiance.

For a different style of accommodations, visit the upscale Jetwing Kaduruketha eco-resort. The most exciting route involves a 3.5-hour train ride from Nuwara Eliya to Ella, clanking along in the red observation car past pristine waterfalls, and leaning out the open windows and doors for Instagram-worthy shots, while on-board vendors hawk hot peanuts. Then it’s just a short drive to Jetwing Kaduketha, which provides comfortable villas, steps away from a 60-acre organic farm.

Gaze at the rice paddies, framed by the imposing, romantic Punagala Mountains, while you relax in the outdoor infinity pool. With over 160 bird species on the property, you can spot hornbills, peacocks, and red-backed woodpeckers. Giant squirrels, geckos, and turtles also make cameos.

At the open-air restaurant dine on grilled pork chops with honey mustard sauce or braised chicken with cashew rice and buttered vegetables. The menu varies daily based on what the cooks source from local farmers.

The sound of frogs croaking and cicadas trilling in the surrounding jungle after a tropical rainstorm is hauntingly beautiful.

Back in Colombo, it’s worth touring the Gangaramaya Temple for insight into how Buddhist philosophies have shaped Sri Lanka. The eclectic temple, more than 120 years old, is easy to spot on Sri Jinarathana Road with its golden exterior. Inside, it’s a riot of colours, flowers, and yellow Buddha sculptures, plus various goddesses and demons.

More than 150 ancient Buddha statues grace the Dambulla Rock Temple.

Surrounding buildings house a potpourri of donated artifacts, including Dutch coins, statues of Hindu coins, and old cameras. As a counterpoint to an eight-ton Buddha carved with white jade from Myanmar, a glass case inside a London-made Chubb & Sons safe displays what’s reputedly the world’s smallest gold Buddha, best viewed with a magnifying glass.

The author travelled as a guest of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, which did not review or approve this article.

IF YOU GO

Cathay Pacific offers regular service (via Hong Kong) from Vancouver to Colombo, starting around $1,400 round-trip. For more on Sri Lanka’s attractions and accommodations, see srilanka.travel.